Sharing – Carrying heavy secrets alone: sexual trauma disclosure in boys and men

Demetra Christodoulou summarises the latest review of the evidence on barriers to disclosure of sexual trauma in men and boys.

https://www.nationalelfservice.net/mental-health/trauma/sexual-trauma-disclosure-in-boys-and-men/

There are a lot of barriers for all survivors, but there are some that are unique to male survivors. I know, because I am one. I wanted to share this because while I think the individual stories are powerful, sometimes you need to see the research to fully understand how rare it is for a survivor to tell their story in the immediate aftermath of sexual assault. There is no safety in telling. It can take a very long time, decades in many cases, for a survivor to muster up the courage to share their story.

We shouldn’t act surprised when claims of abuse are revealed many years after the act. That’s not evidence that the claim is false; it’s just the norm.

If we want it to no longer be the norm, we need to create a society where it’s safe to tell. We don’t have that.